N4G at PAX - Day 2

Media got some early access time this morning, which allowed me to get into the first round of Dragon Age 2 players. Playing as a female rogue, most of the changes to the game seem subtle. The combat was a bit more acrobatic, but everything felt very familiar, in a comfy way. After that was inFAMOUS, so there will be at least a handful of inFAMOUS shirts for you all.

I did, of course, check out the latest Civ V demo, which showed some more combat interactions as well as the Giant Death Robot (actual name). Really looking forward to that game! There is a sense with certain developers (Valve also comes to mind) that they wait to make a sequel for a time when they have enough ideas, enough changes, enough solutions.

Mortal Kombat plays like a return to form, and after playing a couple rounds I started to really understand the enthusiasm from fans here at the show - it seems unanimous that this MK is a real MK. In things less visceral, I played around a little bit at the XBLA booth, including the very cute ilomilo co-op puzzler.

I swung by the LOTRO booth and picked up some swag and keys for you all - they were giving away some "one rings", but I stand by my suggestion that there should be just one. Only one. Now fight!

This afternoon was the Online Gaming Communities panel, spearheaded by Derek Nolan, and I had a great time meeting the attendees - which included our own Mod, Columbo!! Columbo works really hard around here, so if you're at PAX and you see him give him a big "thank you"! (and help him find a poster tube for his awesome Halo Reach poster) If you want to see the panel, it's on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watc...

This evening SEGA had an event at Gameworks, which was a really great time. Joined by the guys from the PGL Lobbycast we tore up everything from basketball and air hockey to DDR and Gauntlet. It was a perfect gamer party - and they had Valkyria Chronicles II buttons! The wild Splatterhouse party at Nuemos was part video games, part concert, part really creepy looking cookies. I didn't save you any cookies.

Oh, and for my fellow Dragon Age fans, PGL Geoff managed to eek this tidbit out: they're not saying that Alistair won't be in Dragon Age 2, but they're not saying he will be either. Hmm.

(Image: that would be a Big Daddy and Little Sister tearing it up on Just Dance 2)